October 17th, 2017

by Ann Lyons

As we appreciate the turn of the season, we begin to reflect on the seasons of our colleague’s service. In today’s post, we consider four reward occasions. Each offer a valuable opportunity to recognise, reward and to build greater levels of engagement with individuals and teams, across the whole organisation. In addition to day-to-day recognition, there are many moments to celebrate people’s professional successes, with a variety of rewards.

Milestones

Milestones can be personal or professional. Each provides the opportunity for you to clarify just how much that person means to your organisation. Personal milestones include weddings, the birth of a child and personal successes outside of work. Sending a simple gift, such as a picture frame on the birth of a child, shows that your personal moments are as important as your professional moments. The gesture will remain with the employee long after the gift has been received and the moment has past.

Milestones can also be professional and work-related, such as Service Awards and retirements. Service awards are typically celebrated in five-year increments. They are emotive occasions, which encourage a rich celebration of the journey the employee has been on with their company. Providing a great choice of tangible gifts allows employees an occasion to treat themselves – and the company with a tax-efficient recognition solution.

For retirement, a special custom reward is called for. The bottle of champagne celebrates their service and an additional well-considered gift, presented in an engraved gift box will mark this professional and personal milestone.

Seasonal Rewards

Seasonal rewards are just that, rewards linked in particular to the Christmas season. The increased small benefits allowance of €500 is a welcome tax-free opportunity to reward employees.

The festive season presents opportunities to celebrate the year that is almost complete and to reflect on the year that’s been. Team dinners and catered lunches are opportunities for employees to share their stories – and giving a token gift is the icing on the Christmas cake.

Ad hoc Rewards

Ad hoc rewards are the type of rewards given for displaying great initiative and for exceptional achievements. Examples include winning ‘Team of the Year’ or the award of a professional qualification. In each case the reward will be a one-off occasion, linked to clear company objectives and supported by company policy. Sometimes Ad hoc rewards can be accompanied by an engraved award, which reminds you and others of your achievement.

Ad hoc rewards give managers and supervisors a precision tool with which to reach into a company. Good leaders will discover which Ad hoc rewards best represent the company, its values AND what will engage employees. The winners become more steeped in your culture. They are the individuals and teams to whom you can turn to deliver a project on/in time or to make an innovative and productive leap. You are their leader and they are your people!

Daily Recognition

We all need something to keep us going – that’s why you keep that bar of chocolate in the right-hand desk drawer. While the previous examples are ‘occasions’ that celebrate particular moments, ongoing recognition enables peers to give more frequent recognition to one another. Ongoing recognition encourages daily thanks to be given by all to all.

Having a tool such as Kudos Social Recognition empowers employees to give peer-to-peer recognition and managers to give manager-to -peer recognition. You can take it a stage further by linking thanks to rewards, which can really make their day!

For day-to-day recognition, you can offer customised and flexible rewards on your recognition programme using Kudos®. We can help you to create a catalogue of affordable rewards, which include products, services and experiences that matter to your employees. We will advise you on the most suitable rewards and tax-efficient solutions for your recognition programme.

The Takeaway

Building a wide-reaching Rewards & Recognition strategy allows your organisation to reach out to individuals and teams at any time. This approach includes all employees. It allows rewards and recognition for a myriad of occasions and builds cohesion and retention.

Breathe-in and celebrate real occasions! These are opportunities, which deserve to be acknowledged and which have an incisive impact on your relationship with employees.